Vicente Piedra Meza,107 the additional testimony of Lieutenant Luis Piedra Meza, 108 the statement of the
private indicter,109 the testimony of Police Captain Milton Patricio Ramirez,110 the testimony of Lieutenant
Colonel Juan Ávila Hidalgo,111 the statement of Policeman Luis Hernán Momposita, 112 and the testimony of
Corporal Márquez Rodríguez Lorenzo.” 113 “Evidentiary value” was also ascribed to the report on the
exhumation and autopsy of the corpse of May 25, 1994, 114 the ballistics expert’s report,115 the professional
[… continuation]
had been brought against him since at no time did he participate in the operation to pursue Policeman Valencia.” Appendix 2. First
National Police District Court. Judgment of March 5, 1997. Appendix to the State’s communication of February 7, 2011, received at the
IACHR on February 14, 2011.
107 According to whom, “when Policeman Luis Valencia's lifeless body was found he was with Captain Patricio Ramírez and
Lieutenant Hernán Cabezas as all three had entered the scene together; as to whether shots were exchanged with the deceased, the
declarant replied that at no time did he fire any shots but that he did hear gunshots both from Policeman Valencia who was inside, and
from outside although he did not know which person or persons were shooting from outside.” Appendix 2. First National Police District
Court. Judgment of March 5, 1997. Appendix to the State’s communication of February 7, 2011, received at the IACHR on February 14,
2011.
108 In which he says that Valencia "fled toward the Ríobamba Tennis Club, shooting into the air, whereupon he was pursued to
prevent further regrettable incidents, the people there indicating that the policeman had hidden in a security guard's quarters, from the
inside of which Policeman Valencia was firing shots ... to which he replied that if they came near he would kill them and that the only way
they would get him out was if he was dead." "Upon hearing the final shot they proceeded to wait for a while, after which Captain Ramírez,
Lieutenant Hernán Cabezas Gallegos and the declarant entered the security guard's quarters at the same time and found that the
policeman had committed suicide. They left the scene to wait for the duty police chief to arrive without touching anything.” Appendix 2.
First National Police District Court. Judgment of March 5, 1997. Appendix to the State’s communication of February 7, 2011, received at
the IACHR on February 14, 2011.
109 According to whom, “two patrol cars and a pickup truck filled with policemen” arrived at her residence. Lieutenant Piedra
“instructed them violently to kick down the door and ask her 'where is your husband?'" As the declarant left "the house, she heard
Lieutenant Piedra saying 'That bastard Valencia is dead because he's going to die by my hand.’” “Under questioning it was determined
that the private indicter did not have personal knowledge about the circumstances of her husband’s death but found out that it was the
two lieutenants who pursued her husband.” Appendix 2. First National Police District Court. Judgment of March 5, 1997. Appendix to the
State’s communication of February 7, 2011, received at the IACHR on February 14, 2011.
110 Who “[…], said that yes, they entered the residence with the woman's consent and verified that the policeman was not
there.” That upon reaching the Tennis Club complex, "the two officers were approximately 30 meters from the building ... they were
telling the policeman to give himself up; noting the presence of the declarant, the officers said, ‘Captain, let us go into the building
because it appears that the policeman is dead,’ since they heard the sound of a shot from inside it; after a few minutes the declarant said
that the two officers entered the building and verified the [Tr: unintelligible word in Spanish] of the corpse.” [Tr: Spanish confusingly
punctuated] Appendix 2. First National Police District Court. Judgment of March 5, 1997. Appendix to the State’s communication of
February 7, 2011, received at the IACHR on February 14, 2011.
111Who mainly said “That ... as the most senior officer in the unit, in view of the attitude of Policeman Valencia, he gave the
order for the officers who were at the police station at the time to go out and attempt to locate the policeman.” Appendix 2. First National
Police District Court. Judgment of March 5, 1997. Appendix to the State’s communication of February 7, 2011, received at the IACHR on
February 14, 2011.
112Who said that “he was present when the row broke out in which Captain Venegas acted as procedure required. He added
nothing with respect to the shoots fired by Policeman Valencia.” Appendix 2. First National Police District Court. Judgment of March 5,
1997. Appendix to the State’s communication of February 7, 2011, received at the IACHR on February 14, 2011.
113Who said that he received “[…] the order from Major Juan Ávila” to go in pursuit of the policeman who had wounded Captain
Venegas, “whereupon Lieutenant Hernán Cabezas and Lieutenant Piedra boarded the patrol car.” However, he said that subsequently he
parked the car while the pursuit continued on foot, and the two officers later “told him that the policeman had committed suicide."
Appendix 2. First National Police District Court. Judgment of March 5, 1997. Appendix to the State’s communication of February 7, 2011,
received at the IACHR on February 14, 2011.
114 “[…] Who in the report's conclusions said: “1. […].[H]e died approximately 29 months ago and we believe that his death was
caused by: LACERATION, BRAIN HEMORRHAGE, AND FRACTURES OF THE VAULT AND BASE OF THE SKULL AS A RESULT OF THE
ENTRY AND EXIT OF A FIREARM PROJECTILE, all of which were the apparent cause of his violent death. 2.- TRAJECTORY OF THE
PROJECTILE. […][I]ts path was from right to left, upward, and slightly from front to back. 3.- “RANGE. As there was no skin evidence,
"bone samples [were taken] from the area of the entry wound (squamous part of the right temporal bone) to be sent to the National
Police Central Forensics Laboratory.” Appendix 2. First National Police District Court. Judgment of March 5, 1997. Appendix to the State’s
communication of February 7, 2011, received at the IACHR on February 14, 2011.
115 Who stated in the conclusions, “in the occipital bone of the skull of the deceased National Policeman Luis Valencia, there is
an entry wound which presents signs of sooting”. “For which chemical tests produced the result NITRO DERIVATIVES: POSITIVE.” Based
on the aforementioned characteristics it was determined that the gunshot was a contact shot. ... [T]he ballistics experts ... informed the
judge that the bullet entry wound is located in the squamous part of the temporal bone of the skull, which is connected to the occipital
bone, for which reason we took the liberty of making the appropriate correction to report number 94-531-LC-PN, which mistakenly
[continues …]